


K-I-S-S-I-N-G

by phoenixwings



Series: Sitting in a Tree [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 18:50:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2662622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixwings/pseuds/phoenixwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"You can make it up here, Dean," Castiel calls out from where he's perched on a tree branch. Dean looks up at him. </i><br/> <br/><i>"I feel like a dog playing fetch, Cas. Do I get a treat if I make it up the tree?" He asks with a wide grin. </i></p><p>  <i>Cas does that head-tilt thing that Dean finds secretly adorable before he graces Dean with a small smile. </i></p><p>   <i>"There may be a surprise when you make it up here," Cas replies. <i></i></i></p><p> <br/><i></i><br/><i>Castiel has set out a mission to give Dean the chance to experience all the childhood fun he missed out on while growing up. The last thing on Castiel's list is climbing a tree, but what Dean doesn't know is that Castiel has a surprise planned for when Dean reaches the top.</i><br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	K-I-S-S-I-N-G

**Author's Note:**

> Can also be found on [Tumblr](http://burningphoenixwings.tumblr.com/).

“You can make it up here, Dean,” Castiel calls out from where he’s perched on a tree branch. Dean looks up at him. 

“I feel like a dog playing fetch, Cas. Do I get a treat if I make it up the tree?” He asks with a wide grin. 

Cas does that head-tilt thing that Dean finds secretly adorable before he graces Dean with a small smile. 

“There may be a surprise when you make it up here,” Cas replies. That makes Dean perk up. Cas and “surprise” don’t normally go in the same sentence, and Dean is left wondering what his boyfriend has planned. 

Dean stares at the tree before him, a large oak situated deep into the bike trail of the city park. Ever since Cas had learned the true extent of neglect that permeated Dean’s childhood, he had sent them on adventures to complete the things Dean had never had the opportunity to experience growing up. Dean had told Cas a little bit about how he had been raised when they first started dating, but it was only in the last eight months, after they attended the funeral of Dean's father, that Dean had really begun talking about the nightsspent in sketchy motel rooms, looking out for Sam, while their dad went and drank himself into a stupor. 

After learning about this, Cas had declared that Dean was going to experience all the things he missed out on as a child, and had set out on his new mission with gusto. When Cas put his mind to something, he didn’t back down. Last summer Cas had made him run through the sprinklers that watered the lawn outside their apartment building, and then in the winter Cas had dragged him outside to make snow angels despite Dean’s protest. 

Which is what led Dean here to the park to complete the last thing on Cas’ “retroactively-give-Dean-a-childhood” list: climbing a tree. Dean doesn't exactly see what's so special about climbing trees, but Cas insists that it's a ritual of childhood. Dean wonders a little how Cas knows this, since it’s not like his boyfriend had an ideal childhood either. Castiel’s parents had been distant for most of his life before eventually disowning him for his choice of career. They had wanted Castiel to become a doctor, like everyone else in the family, but Cas had gone into botany instead.

Dean knows he can’t stand and stare at the tree forever, so he grabs to the base of the tree and gives it his all, attempting to climb up and sliding back down instead. Castiel’s laughter carries from above him, and Dean glares up at his boyfriend. Cas is sitting calmly on a thick branch about two-thirds of the way up the tree, a small smile on his face. Dean shakes his head and tries again. It’s not like his childhood was bereft of climbing over things. It’s only that instead of climbing trees, most of the climbing Dean did as a minor included climbing over fences into areas that were normally marked with a “keep out” sign. 

His second attempt is more successful, and Dean starts slowly making his way up the tree. It’s harder than it looks, Dean realizes, as he struggles to distribute his body weight more evenly. Dean has some natural strength, but he’s not like Cas who exercises for fun and asks for new running clothes as gifts and actually spends money on a gym membership. 

Eventually dean makes it up to the branch where Cas is sitting. He swings his legs over the tree with a grunt, turning to face Cas and putting his back against the trunk of the tree. He stares at his boyfriend. 

“Well?” Dean asks. “You said there was a surprise.” 

Cas nods. “You’ll have to get it out of my pocket,” He says, pointing at his jeans. Dean raises his eyebrows and starts to make a joke when Cas effectively cuts him off. 

“No jokes,” Cas says with a smile, “It’s too easy.” 

Dean huffs but keeps silent as he reaches into Cas’ pocket and pulls out a small black box. Dean stares at the object and finds his mouth starting to go dry. 

“Cas,” He says, voice low and hoarse. Dean opens the box with fumbling fingers to find a plain gold band inside. Dean swallows, hard, and looks up at his boyfriend. 

“I know men typically don’t wear engagement rings but I thought perhaps it could be a symbol and we could save it and use it as your wedding band or we can exchange it for another one if you don’t like it or I could get a matching one. . .” Cas trails off, and Dean realizes his boyfriend is rambling. That alone sets something off inside of Dean because Cas is always careful and deliberate with his words. He glances up from the box to look up at Cas and sees an expression on his face that Dean has only seen a handful of times before. 

Cas is terrified. Cas is terrified that Dean is going to say no, like Dean would ever say no to Cas. The fact that Cas thought there was even a possibility that Dean would refuse is almost enough to lurch Dean from his perch on the tree. Dean never thought he’d be the type to get married, but as soon as he saw the ring he knew he’d say yes, because this was Cas. Cas, who could do so much better but wants to be with Dean anyway. Cas, who loves Dean so intensely it makes Dean freaking _bloom_ like one of the hydrangeas in Cas’ greenhouse. 

It occurs to Dean that Cas is still looking at him with that terrified expression because Dean hasn’t said anything yet, and he opens his mouth but ends up gaping like a fish because there’s so much he wants to say, from _I love you_ to the less romantic _dude, we’re still going to be having awesome sex when we’re fifty_ to a stunned _you could do so much better but you want me anyway_. Dean doesn’t say any of that, though, because he’s pretty sure if he tries to say something he’ll end up spitting out some garbled mess of words that make no sense when put together, so instead he leans forward to kiss Cas, who gives a small noise of surprise and then starts kissing back just as intensely. It starts out slow, but then grows frantic as Dean finds himself being pushed back hard against the trunk of the tree and he desperately grabs at Cas, ending up holding two handfuls of Cas’ black T-shirt in his hands. 

Eventually Dean pulls back because they’re still technically in public, even though no one has been on the bike trail that snakes underneath the tree since they’ve arrived. Dean’s jeans feel tight and his body is begging for _more, more_ but Dean refrains because there’s taking a tumble in nature and then there’s taking a _tumble_ in nature, and one sounds decidedly less fun than the other. 

Cas stares at him with red lips and wide eyes, and his expression of open adoration is almost more than Dean can take. 

“You still haven’t said anything,” Cas says after a moment once they’ve both composed themselves a little. 

“Yes,” Dean huffs out, still breathless, and then laughs because it’s bubbling over in him and Cas is laughing with him. Dean is smiling so wide it hurts his cheeks a little but he can’t stop because this is the best moment of his life, one that he’ll replay over and over again because Cas hardly ever laughs and Dean takes great delight in the fact that he’s the one who can draw that sound from Cas. 

“We should probably get out of this tree eventually,” Cas says casually, and Dean keeps grinning and starts climbing down, even less graceful than he was on the way up but he can’t be bothered to care. As soon as they’re both on the ground and neither of them have to worry about falling several feet Dean kisses him again, this time backing Cas up against the tree trunk. 

“Dean,” Cas says when they break apart, and all Dean knows is he never wants that expression to leave Cas’ face. Cas is looking at Dean like he’s the only thing in the world and all Cas has ever wanted and Dean will never get over the fact that Cas looks at him like that. 

“I love you,” Dean says suddenly, because the words have been sitting in his throat, begging to be blurted out. A surprise expression crosses Cas’ face for a moment before he’s grinning again too. It’s not the first time Dean has said those words, of course, they’ve been dating so long, but they’re rarer than Dean would like. Words like that have always been hard for Dean to say, after growing up unused to hearing them frequently. Dean’s always been afraid that if he says it too often, it’ll shift something—like Cas will finally realize how clingy Dean is or how Dean needs him so much more than Cas needs Dean, but now he’s not sure of that anymore. Cas loves him, and it’s not a new realization but Dean thinks that maybe he’s finally willingly to totally accept it, to not only let Cas in through the gate Dean keeps around himself but maybe he’s ready to dismantle the entire fence, just for Cas. 

They start to walk back to the Impala and Dean knows he looks ridiculous but he can’t keep the grin off his face, can’t stop touching Cas even if it’s just holding his hand or clasping Cas on the shoulder. He feels as light as a balloon, pumped full of joy, like if a strong breeze came through he’d just be picked up and carried away on the wind and the only thing that’s grounding him is to make sure he doesn’t let go of Cas. It’s okay, though, because Cas can’t stop staring at Dean either. Dean stays that way while driving back to their apartment, holding Cas’ hand with the hand he doesn’t need on the steering wheel. As soon as they’re inside their living room they’re all over each other again and Dean never wants this moment to stop. 

He can’t stop touching Cas later, either, as Cas naps on their bed with a blissful expression on his face and Dean just clings to him even closer. While Cas is sleeping Dean finally disentangles himself because he realizes he has to eventually. He doesn’t want to wake Cas, but he realizes he needs to talk about this right now with someone so he slips out of the room and into the kitchen to call Sam. 

“Dean?” Sam answers on the third ring. 

“Hey, Sammy,” Dean replies, and then he decides to just dive right into it. “I have news.”

“Uh, okay. What is it?” 

“I’m getting married,” Dean says, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice even though he’s pretty sure Sam will tease him about it later.

“Wow,” Sam says on the other end, “Wow, it’s about time. I was wondering when you’d finally ask Cas to marry you!” 

“Uh, well, actually he asked me,” Dean says sheepishly. 

“That’s great, Dean. Congrats. I’m really happy for you,” Sam replies. 

“Thanks,” Dean says before clearing his throat. “So uh, that’s why I called. How’s Jessica?” Dean asks, because even though he’s practically jumping out of his own skin from happiness he hasn’t forgotten all his manners. 

“She’s great,” Sam replies, “Her parents are coming to visit next weekend so I’m going to meet her family.”

Dean chuckles. “Working your way up to meeting the family already, Sammy?” 

“Yeah, I hope they like me. I should probably go, I’m studying for this huge test tomorrow, but Dean?” 

“Yeah?” 

“You sound really happy. I’m glad.” 

“Thanks. Bye, Sammy.” 

“Bye,” His brother replies, and then Dean hears a click. He thinks about what Sam said, and for how long Dean always thought he’d never get to have something like this and how lucky he is to end up where he has. He checks his messages to see that Ellen has sent a strongly worded text reminding Dean that she expects to see them at dinner tonight. Dean chuckles as he sends a quick reply and then he taps out a message telling the news to Charlie, because she’s out of town at some convention this weekend and he knows she’ll never let him hear the end of it if he forgets to tell her right away. He pockets his phone and slips back in the bedroom to see that Cas has woken up from his nap.

“Hey,” Dean says quietly as he slides in next to Cas. 

“Hello,” Cas says, because he’s weird and formal in his greetings even when the recipient of said greeting is his fiance, but Dean wouldn’t have it any other way. Dean kisses down Cas’ shoulders and then pulls Cas against his chest. 

“You know being engaged means that we have to plan a ceremony now,” Cas says sleepily, because he knows that Dean hates planning details like that. Dean doesn’t really care about having a ceremony—he’d be all for just going downtown and getting a marriage license tomorrow instead of worrying about things like groomsmen and wedding colors—but he knows events like that are important to Cas. 

“I know,” Dean replies as he kisses Cas’ neck. He’ll look at the flowers that Cas wants or fuss with him over suits or whatever else Cas wants to do—though he doesn’t think it’ll be too difficult. Cas places a great deal of importance in milestone events, but he’s not fancy or extravagant. The idea of publicly confessing how much he loves and needs Cas scares Dean a little, but it excites him too. All his life he thought he’d run away from anyone who asked for forever, because Dean’s never really had anything permanent, but now that it’s here Dean realizes he couldn’t have been more wrong. This is what he wants, his life with Cas to stretch on and out forever, knowing it’ll last to the end, and for once Dean is getting what he craves.


End file.
